Half to charles



(No Model.)

B. L. LLOYD.

BOTTLE STOPPHR.

N0. 279,777. Patented June 19,1883..

fl WITNESSES" 17v VENTOR N. PETERS, M mumm 07c.

the bottle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1,

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDWIN L. LLOYD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CHARLES C. JOLY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOTTLE-STCPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 279,777, dated June 19,

Application filed Janna-yin, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ,of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Bottle-Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of bottle-stoppers in which the plug or cork is separate from the retainer, my improvement consisting in so combining a corkholder with the retainer and cork that while the said cork can be readily detached, or the retainer applied to the cork after the latter has been adjusted to the mouth of the bottle, there will be no danger of losing the cork after it has been released from the mouth of 2, and 3 are perspectiveviews of part of the neck of a bottle with my improved stopper; Figs. I and 5, vertical sections of Figs. 1 and 3, respectively; Figs. 6 and 7, perspective views, showing the method of adjusting the cork-holder; and Figs. 8, 9, and 10, views showing modifications of the invention.

My improved stopper, although adapted for the closing of bottles generally, has been de signed particularly as a pressure-stopper that is to say, a stopper for bottles containing mineral water or other effervescent liquids which are under pressure when the bottles are filled. I11 such cases it is necessary that the cork or plug of the stopper shall be separate from the retainer, as said cork or plug is applied to the mouth of the bottle by means of.

a plunger forming part of the filling apparatus, and is held in place by said plunger while the retainer. is being applied.

Heretofore ordinary corks have been used, and these'eorks have been retained in place by a wire fastener pivoted to a ring on the neck of the bottle, and bent to form an open loop which bears onthe top of the cork. The objection to this plan is, that the corks are thrown aside when the bottle is opened, and

. this waste of corks is a serious item of expense in large bottling establishments. Attempts have been made to overcome the objection by connecting the corks to the necks of the botretainer to the cork.

tles or to the retainers by means of cords or chains; but such devices are crude, and have not been practically adopted to any extent.

In carrying out my invention I combine with the cork and retainer a cork-holder which catches the cork as the retainer releases the same, said cork-holder being so constructed that the cork can be readily detached therefrom when necessary, and so that it will not interfere with the ready application of the retainer to the cork'when the latter has been applied to the bottle.

In Figs. 1 to 5, A represents part of the neck of a bottle; B, the plug or cork closing the mouth of the same, and D the usual open loop retainer. The cork has a rubber packing of any suitable character, and on the top of the cork is aprojecting stem, (1, terminating in an enlargement or head, I).

The cork-holder F consists of a wire bent to form a loop, I, and'elastic armsff, theholder being pivoted to the retainer, as shown, so as to close the mouth of the loop formed by said retainer. 011. moving the retainer in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, so as to release the cork B from the control of the same, the stem (1 of the cork is caught in the loop (I of the holder F, the elastic arms f yielding-as they pass the stem, and then springing back into position to retain said stem in the loop (I, as shown in Fig. 2, the continued movement of the retainer causing the cork to be pulled from the mouth of the bottle and retained by the holder F, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

In applying theretainer to the cork the holder F is thrown back, as shown in Fig. 6, so as not to interfere with the ready application of the \Vhen the retainer is applied, the holder is drawn forward in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7, the elastic arms 1' yielding as they pass the stem to and head I).

In order to free the cork from the holder it is simply necessary to apply sufficient force to cause the elastic arms f to yield and permit the passage of the stem 0.

Vhile I prefer the form of cork-holder thus shown and described, the same is not essential to the attainment of the objects of my invention. as various other forms of holders have V been devised by me for this purpose. Some of these forms I have shown in Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive.

The holder shown in Fig. 8 consists of a simple wire pivoted to the rear of the retainerloop, and adapted to an opening, m, in the stem (0 of the cork, the front end of the wire being bent to form an elastic hook, f, which can be compressed so as to be passed through the opening in, but which cannot be drawn through the same to release the cork unless it has been first compressed, so that accidental release of the cork is impossible.

Fig. 9 shows another form of the same idea; but in this case the elastic hook is replaced by a head, 9, and the stem a of the cork has aslot enlarged at the upper end, the lower portion of the slot being wide enough to receive the wire F, and the enlarged upper portion of the slotbeing of such a size that the head 9 can be passed through the same in either direction when the wire is properly guided, there being very little likelihood of the head passing through the opening unless it is so guided.

In Fig. 10 the cork has, instead of a projecting stem, a yoke, a, and the retainer D has a central projection or finger adapted to pass under this yoke, the holder F in this case being substantially similar to that shown in Fig. 8, and being provided with an elastic hook, f, adapted to catch the top bar of the yoke as the retainer is pushed back, so as to release the cork.

In all cases the throwing back of the re- .tainer brings the cork-holder into play, and

the said holder is so constructed that although accidental release of the cork is impossible, or at least extremely improbable, the release of the cork can be readily effected when desired. The cork-holder, moreover, is made of wire possessing such rigidity that the holder can be handled without risk of being bent, which in the case of the holders shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10 permits. the application of the holder to the cork simultaneously with the adjustment of the retainer; and in the case of the holder shown in Figs. 1 to 7 permits the movement of said holder into operative position by simply swinging it on its pivotal connection.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the cork, the retainer, and a corlcholder of rigid material, but constructed as described, to permit the release of the cork therefrom, and hung to the retainer so as to engage with a projecting portion of the cork as the said retainer is thrown back, as set forth.

2. The combination of the cork, the retainer, and a corkholder hung to the retainer, and having an elastic portion, f, as set forth.

The combination of a cork having a stem, 0, a retainer having an open loop adapted to the stem, and a cork-holder, F, closing the mouth of the loop, as set forth.

4t. The combination of a cork having a stem, 0, a retainer having an open loop adapted to the stem, and a cork-holder, F, closing the mouth of the loop and having elastic arms f, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDYVIN L. LLOYD.

Vitnesses:

THoMAs DUGAN, HARRY SMITH. 

